Mystery Violet (true Viola species)

rufino(z10 Florida)January 4, 2014

Any assistance with the identification of a mystery violet would be much appreciated. This is a true violet (Viola species) that has been spreading as a nursery weed in the north Florida region. I don't believe it has escaped and been found wild. Rather, it self-seeds prodigiously in pots of other plants and is thus being spread from nursery to nursery, as well as to homeowners who buy potted plants from such nurseries. So far, it has defied identification and it does not appear to match any Viola species, native or non-native, recorded from the United States.

Note that the flowers are tiny (see comparison to my fingernail). As far as I can tell, the flowers are much smaller in proportion to the size of the plant than any other true violet I have ever seen.

I think this is somewhere amongst Vv. betonicifolia-mandschurica-yedoensis.
In all those species, leaf shape varies somehwat, the flowers can be white instead of the normal purple, and hybrids are possible.